Jim Mattis has ordered the Pentagon to cut wait times for combat valor awards | MilitaryTimes

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, in one of his first directives while heading the Pentagon, subtly ordered military leaders to accelerate internal procedures for initiating, vetting and approving combat valor awards, Military Times has learned, a significant policy shift meant to ensure America’s war heroes are recognized with minimal delay.

Within the armed forces, there are few subjects treated with greater pride and sensitivity than personal awards and decorations. Mattis’s change, implemented military-wide in recent weeks, addresses a longstanding frustration shared by rank-and-file personnel and commanders alike who in many cases have waited years to see battlefield feats acknowledged.